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Monday, 1 December 2014

Ancient Greek coinage had been in use for
around six centuries before Greece became part of the Roman Empire. Hand made
in the same way Roman coins are (struck using a cast die), these coins had a
variety of images and symbols which can be connected to Greek Heroes and Gods.
This symbolism could be used to prove an individuals power and right to rule
within the ancient world.

For my Money Monday handing session in the summer, I chose to
focus on Greek coinage and connections that could be found to Alexander the
Great (356-323 BC). Son of Phillip II of Macedon and part of the Argead
dynasty, Alexander became king at 20 years old and ruled one of the largest
ancient empires by the age of 30. Covering an area of 2,000,000 sq mi,
Alexanders empire included modern day Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Iraq and covered an
area as far east as India. Greek influence in these areas would
last for 200-300 years after Alexanders death.

This map shows the extent of Alexanders empire before his death in 323 BC.

The Greek coins within the Roman Baths
collection show a rich variety of connections to Alexander the Great and a
number were selected to use during the handling session. Key themes included
Alexander's connection to the hero Heracles; who the Argead dynasty claimed to
be descended from, Alexander's connection to Zeus and his deification in Egypt
and the spread of Hellenistic culture across his empire.

The coins often show the image of Alexander wearing the skin of a lion, portraying himself in the image of
Heracles after he slew the Nemean lion. The lion is a recurring theme and
can be seen on a number of the coins within the Roman Baths collection

Hemistater of Macedon with lions head

The next coin that was used for the handling session shows
Alexander as a God. Pronounced a son of Amun in Egypt by the oracle, Alexander
referred to Zeus-Ammon as his true father. The ram horns seen on the first image are a symbol of his divinity. The writing on the reverse (second image) shows this was a coin of King
Lysimachus of Thrace who came to rule part of Alexander's Empire after his
death. The use of the image of Alexander was used by Lysimachus to show his
right to rule during the war of the ‘diadochi’or successors.

When looking at the coinage of an individual,
it can tell us a lot about their personality and what they see or think of
themselves. This makes this type of coinage invaluable to our understanding of
the period.

The Roman Baths at Night

The Roman Baths Bloggers

We are the volunteers, interns and employees of the Roman Baths. We started this blog to provide you with a behind the scenes glimpse of what goes on here at the Roman Baths. We will be writing about what is interesting and important to us from collections to activities and events.